American city Gresham, Oregon, and the Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi have officially become partner cities, signing a cooperation agreement in the “Friendship City” format. A delegation of U.S. officials and community leaders traveled to Ukraine to sign the bilateral pact and deliver another shipment of humanitarian aid.
This was reported by Outlook.
The American delegation, led by Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall, included City Councilor Jerry Hinton, Gresham Police Chief Travis Gullberg, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, as well as representatives of the East Portland Rotarians. All delegates covered the costs of their trip to Europe themselves, without using municipal budget funds.
As part of the visit, the U.S. representatives delivered two containers of medical supplies to their Ukrainian counterparts. These were the 45th and 46th shipments sent to Ukraine by this Oregon Rotary group since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
The partnership agreement was signed by Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall and Chernivtsi Mayor Roman Klichuk. The American officials also held a working meeting with Ruslan Osypenko, head of the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration. Key areas of cooperation include attracting investment, veteran rehabilitation, developing energy resilience, educational exchanges, and direct communication with business and medical communities in the Greater Portland metropolitan area.
Gresham officials emphasize that the partnership is based on the close ties between Oregon’s local community and Ukraine. The region is home to a large Slavic diaspora, while the local community and religious organizations in Gresham have long supported wounded Ukrainian servicemen who come to the United States for prosthetics through the Protez Foundation.
The Gresham City Council unanimously approved the resolution establishing friendship with Chernivtsi.
“Cities recognize the importance of cooperation and exchanging experience. We are interested in strengthening cultural, educational and economic ties between our communities,” the Gresham municipal government said in a statement.
Additional information
The “Friendship City” status provides for direct interaction between municipalities to implement specific projects, unlike the “Sister City” format, which is typically established through international associations. Gresham already has international agreements with cities in Japan (Ebetsu), South Korea (Seogcho), and Nigeria (Owerri). Chernivtsi region currently has 161 international cooperation agreements, two of which are with partners in the United States.
Photo: Chernivtsi Regional State Administration, Outlook.
Author: Danylo Pievchev